# An early Trick or Treat rant. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 28, 2012, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087 "2012-10-28T00:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/41 "2012-10-29T17:58:20Z")
We used to make turnip lamps here but we’ve gone all 'merkin and have pumpkins galore. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/42 "2012-10-29T19:28:17Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > :eek: > > In Scotland, do you deep-fry the candy bars before handing them out? Of course. That’s if we give out candy at all, normally we just pile a load of haggis into their outstretched little hands. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/43 "2012-10-29T21:12:57Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > We’re cranky by nature. > > It’s the soaking in sheep guts that just adds to the cranky nature. > > Vandalize the house? So it’s not just begging, it’s aggresive begging? Will let you know if the tradition evolves that far. > > If I’d known they were going to turn up this early I would have slipped an appropriate Chick Tract into their bag. No little visitors on Sunday night. We shall see what the rest of the week brings. > > I may just get some sweets and stuff in for the wee folk down the street, as long as they visit on the 31st. I’d be even crankier if I got soaked in sheep guts, too. And I’m cranky by nature. Perhaps I’m more Scots than I realized. In the parts of the US where I’ve lived, having a porch light on means that you’re handing out treats. If the light is off, the little ghosts and goblins are supposed to know that you aren’t participating, even if the lights in the house are on. Having a lit jack’o’lantern on the porch isn’t mandatory, but is generally regarded as a nice touch. And I, for one, think it smells good, as long as the pumpkin isn’t actually burning. Handing out Chick tracts might very well get your house vandalized, if you don’t hand out candy as well. Even Chick recommends giving out candy with the tracts, and he is the guy that claims that kids just love getting his tracts! Usually, Halloween is just used as an excuse for vandalism. That is, the vandals want to vandalize anyway, and they get all revved up over the holiday. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/44 "2012-10-29T21:30:37Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > That’s not the way we roll in the US - One night per year kids beg for candy and if you refuse they have a widely recognized license to vandalize your house. No turnips involved and nobody gets hurt as long as there’s candy and cooperation. Around here, you just turn off your outside lights and that’s it. I’ve been out of town for the last couple Halloweens and nobody vandalized anything, and in general we have very little hooliganism around the holiday here either. I do get irritated by a few things – kids with no costumes, adults Trick or Treating for “sick kids at home” or tiny infants in a stroller, surly teenagers, that sort of thing – but in general, I love the holiday. I like being a house that gives out good stuff, like full size candy bars or one year I had individual things of Play-Doh as a choice. The littlest kids were thrilled by that, I expected more to choose the candy so I ran through it all pretty fast! I absolutely loved Halloween as a kid too. I’d still Trick or Treat if it was socially acceptable, to be honest. Something about the conquest of it, planning your routes, remembering the good houses, warning other neighborhood kids about the houses giving out pennies/toothbrushes/raisins/tracts, going home and trading candy with your siblings and portioning it all out to last until the Christmas stocking… great stuff! I looked forward to it all year, and I still look forward to seeing all the kids in their costumes and running excitedly from house to house… ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/45 "2012-10-29T21:58:05Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Around here, you just turn off your outside lights and that’s it. I’ve been out of town for the last couple Halloweens and nobody vandalized anything, and in general we have very little hooliganism around the holiday here either. > > I do get irritated by a few things – kids with no costumes, adults Trick or Treating for “sick kids at home” or tiny infants in a stroller, surly teenagers, that sort of thing – but in general, I love the holiday. I like being a house that gives out good stuff, like full size candy bars or one year I had individual things of Play-Doh as a choice. The littlest kids were thrilled by that, I expected more to choose the candy so I ran through it all pretty fast! > > I absolutely loved Halloween as a kid too. I’d still Trick or Treat if it was socially acceptable, to be honest. Something about the conquest of it, planning your routes, remembering the good houses, warning other neighborhood kids about the houses giving out pennies/toothbrushes/raisins/tracts, going home and trading candy with your siblings and portioning it all out to last until the Christmas stocking… great stuff! I looked forward to it all year, and I still look forward to seeing all the kids in their costumes and running excitedly from house to house… If you aren’t home, or the front lights are off and the house is silent there is much less chance of getting your house egged or toilet paper rolled in any neighborhood. But if you actually come to the door just to say ‘no treats for you’, vandalism will ensue in many cases. I always appreciated the folks who would turn the porch lights on and put out a big bowl of candy with a sign that said “Please take only one” - this fulfilled their obligations under the Halloween treaty and prevented vandalism while still saying “Please don’t ring our doorbell” and I respected that. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/46 "2012-10-29T22:09:27Z")
I know they bus kids into our neighborhood on Halloween, we’re sitting outside the garage, when the candy is gone lights out and we’ll huddle in the back bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![spotthegerbil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@spotthegerbil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spotthegerbil)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/47 "2012-10-29T23:36:45Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Of course. That’s if we give out candy at all, normally we just pile a load of haggis into their outstretched little hands. Haggis? You don’t know you were born. Back in my day we just got handed a load of unwanted entrails to eat. We had to mince them ourselves and stuff them into an old football. And you try and tell the young people of today that… They won’t believe you. 😃 No little critters tonight. And I’m fresh out of tracts. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/48 "2012-10-29T23:39:49Z")
I am thoroughly tired of the ol’ ToT thing, but will have a porch light on and candy to hand out. The only reason I will do so because people do not pay attention when the porch light is OFF. Well, that and my dogs going nuts when the doorbell is ringing every two minutes. When we run out of candy (and I buy a lot), we turn the light off. Yet, still the urchins come to the door. Most of the kids are good, but there are always some smartass or whiny kids who complain about our candy. I buy good stuff and a wide variety. No off brands, good stuff. Sigh… I dunno, when I was a kid I always said thank you, even if I didn’t particularly care for what was being given to me. It was free, no right to complain, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/49 "2012-10-30T00:31:42Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > It’s sort of a primary education in self-entitlement and understanding the value of revenge. > > Then at the end of the evening they spread out their loot and eat about 20 of the 350 pieces of candy they just coerced from strangers and the rest get shoved to a reject pile and forgotten. > > In this way they learn both begging and overindulgence, hoarding and wastefulness all at the same time. It’s really a multifaceted holiday with rich tradition. And there’s something about a harvest, or a witch, or something like that in there too. Its an education in all the important American values. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/50 "2012-10-30T01:48:29Z")
In my case, I can’t turn off the light, since it’s inaccessible to me and on a timer (love apartment buildings). ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/51 "2012-10-30T03:52:45Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > Haggis? You don’t know you were born. Back in my day we just got handed a load of unwanted entrails to eat. We had to mince them ourselves and stuff them into an old football. And you try and tell the young people of today that… They won’t believe you. 😃 > > No little critters tonight. And I’m fresh out of tracts. Well, we were just given national self-loathing for Halloween. Entrails would have been luxury. Actually, I thought of handing out self-esteem to the kids this year. You know, “Child, you are Scottish! Isn’t that reward enough? You have no need of candy.” ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/52 "2012-10-30T04:06:34Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > “Child, you are Scottish! Isn’t that reward enough?” [“It’s shite being Scottish!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29-LRuuqFT0) (strong language) ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/53 "2012-10-30T04:24:37Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > [“It’s shite being Scottish!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29-LRuuqFT0) (strong language) Good movie, that. One of my favourites. But see, this negativity is what I would be trying to counteract. It’s wonderful being Scottish - the unicorns roam the glens, the rain is pure single malt whisky, and bagpipers occasionally fall arse-first onto very spiky railings. God is in his heaven, and the devil has been exiled to Carlisle. I’m just proposing to help these kids understand their good fortune in being born in East Kilbride or Methil. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/54 "2012-10-30T05:25:55Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > A turnip lamp: [http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rE7nVrb4rAc/0.jpg](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/rE7nVrb4rAc/0.jpg) > > I think they soak them in sheep guts or something to make them expand Is that an American-grown or Scottish-grown turnip? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/55 "2012-10-30T06:06:33Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Is that an American-grown or Scottish-grown turnip? American-grown, I think. Scottish grown turnips would look more…apologetic. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/56 "2012-10-30T06:34:53Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Christ, they’re trick or treating here in Scotland now? Jeez. They’re trick-or-treating in China now, I just discovered last week. At least, it’s happening in the city where I live. Back in the US, I’ve lived in a few places where the community always moved the trick-or-treat event itself to the last Friday or Saturday night before October 31 (unless, of course, the 31st happened to fall on said day of the week). A new(ish) tradition is for [trunk-or-treat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trunk-or-Treat#Trunk-or-Treat) where the kids simply go to one parking lot (Camp Walker in South Korea designates one side of the commissary parking lot for the event) and go from car to car. Last time I was on the base the same day as that event, the cars participating were awesome. One looked exactly like the car from the Munsters. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/57 "2012-10-30T06:44:45Z")
Just remembered something. For a number of years now, there have been Halloween events in South Korea, too. I just noticed it at the after-school English cram-schools. The cool thing about the trunk-or-treat I mentioned above was that kids from the Korean community were escorted on base so they could participate also. Their costumes looked a lot better than the stuff available at the Exchange on base. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/58 "2012-10-30T07:22:05Z")
> [@spotthegerbil](#): > > 1. Trick or Treat? I don’t think so. This is Scotland, it’s called Guising. Let’s try to keep our own tradition going. For that matter, where’s your tumshie lamp?\* Sorry, I’m proud of myself. I’m American, grew up in TX and I have no Scottish heritage. And I knew what a tumshie lamp was! It takes so little to make me happy these days! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/59 "2012-10-30T09:24:51Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > I’m just proposing to help these kids understand their good fortune in being born in East Kilbride or Methil. Or if they were very very good in a previous life - Cumbernauld. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087/60 "2012-10-30T17:21:55Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > There was some kid in a Winnie the Pooh costume and their mother wandering around the neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. Didn’t see them go to any houses or anything. Couldn’t really figure out what they were doing. Weird. I was dressed up in a costume on Saturday. That’s when the party was. In fact I saw tons of people in costume. A lot of people in my family, as well as scores more, were in costume Friday. Because that’s when the party was. ToTing should only be on the 31st, but most Halloween parties take place on the preceding weekend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-early-trick-or-treat-rant/639087.md?page=4)